Kissing Carrion [Paperback]

Gemma Files (Author, Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

In this first published collection of short stories from one of Canada's most talented rising stars of horror, Gemma Files takes us into a world of black magic and bleak desire. A world where obsession is stronger than death. Where body, soul, time and space itself, are all fluid and treacherous. Where living houses dream longingly of oblivion, and vampires ache for more than simply blood. A world where the only escape from the darkness within is to embrace it.... A world not so very different from our own.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Prime (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894815637
• ISBN-13: 978-1894815635
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,398,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born April 4, 1968, in London, England, Gemma Files is the child of two actors (Elva Mai Hoover and Gary Files), and has lived most of her life in Toronto, Canada. Previously best-known as a film critic, teacher and screenwriter, she first broke onto the horror scene when her short story "The Emperor's Old Bones" won the International Horror Guild's 1999 award for Best Short Fiction. Her current bibliography includes two collections of short work (Kissing Carrion and The Worm in Every Heart, both Prime Books) and two chapbooks of poetry (Bent Under Night, from Sinnersphere Productions, and Dust Radio, from Kelp Queen Press). Her novella "Words Written Backwards" was published by Burning Effigy Press. Her first novel, A Book of Tongues: Volume One in the Hexslinger Series (CZP), will be available in stores as of April 2010; she is currently hard at work on a sequel, A Rope of Thorns. She is married to fellow author Stephen J. Barringer, with whom she co-wrote the story "each thing i show you is a piece of my death" for Clockwork Phoenix 2 (Norilana Books). They have one son.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horror for people who appreciate real horror, August 18, 2003

By 

Tran Bronstein (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kissing Carrion (Paperback)

I hate horror. I never read the stuff and I read this anthology in one sitting. That's how good it is.

Gemma Files knows what makes a good horror story. Horror is the only genre in which a hero is not rewarded for his insight and change. Instead, he pays a dear price for his newfound knowledge. In the most unpleasant, visceral and terrifying manner possible. Kind of like real life. The irony of horror is that in many ways this unreal genre of storytelling is also one of the most realistic.

Gemma Files knows this. Her writing is deep, insightful, meaningful. Often, the first few lines or paragraphs offer some of the greatest insights I've ever read and the story's just started! Trust me, there's usually more by the end of each of her twisted tales.

The most horrific monsters are always human. Gemma Files also knows this. Nothing a vampire or a werewolf or a Jason or a Freddy Kreuger can do compares to the horrors a human has, can and will do. Just read "Keepsake" and "Mouthful of Pins" for confirmation of this.

Love is terrifying. It scares the hell out of people. Of course, if love is terrifying then sex is truly horrific. And mean. And nasty. Conversely well-done horror is absolutely sexy. Gemma Files also knows this. The titular opener, "Kissing Carrion," sets the pace with a nice little romance about a man looking for his one true love. He also happens to be a necrophiliac. Ah, true love.

Gemma's strength is her ability to extract the absolute horror from love and its lesser sibling obsession as demonstrated in "Keepsake," in which a woman adoringly takes care of her sick younger brother only to find that there are some diseases which have absolutely no cure; "Rose-Sick," which will make you think twice about eternal love; "Torch Song," in which a love spell goes horribly awry.

She also respectfully pays homage and lends her own unique interpretation to such classic staples of horror as the haunted mansion in "Folly" and a great take on werewolves in "Skin City." "Seen" boasts one of the most unique serial killer slaying devices of all time. Eat your heart out, Jason with your cheap machete and Freddy with your overgrown Press-On fingernails!

I hate horror. But I loved "Kissing Carrion." I can only imagine that someone who actually likes horror will thoroughly enjoy her anthology.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for Everyone, March 9, 2006

By 

A.J. Salvo (Hamilton, ON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kissing Carrion (Paperback)

I am happy to say that Kissing Carrion is a great family read if your family's last name is Bundy or Gacy. This should be read for shock value alone.

All of the stories featured here are most definitely frightening enough for the avid horror reader but Gemma Files' seems to be very concerned with character development in her writing which makes you feel that much more horrified at or for her characters. The most intriguing story by far is the book's namesake, Kissing Carrion, which kept me interested and disgusted in a sort of surreal and appealing way from beginning to end.

As a student of Gemma's I felt as though I had to read this book as if I was in some way obligated but was pleasantly surprised at the quality of storytelling featured in Kissing Carrion. However, if disturbing subject matter doesn't particularly interest you I suggest you steer clear of this book but otherwise it's a great read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lurid yet fascinating stories, July 27, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kissing Carrion (Paperback)

Kissing Carrion is a macabre collection of seventeen horrific and original short story fantasies, each of which is carefully and dramatically crafted by author Gemma Files about dark magic, burning desires, and vampires that long for a great deal more than mere human blood. Hideous hungers and soul-consuming obsessions mark these lurid yet fascinating stories that fearfully keep one up late at night. Kissing Carrion is especially recommended to the attention of all horror fantasy enthusiasts.